Gray hair is no longer a color to cover up. It’s now a symbol of a life well-lived. From gray blending using highlights to transition your tone, to Refy Beauty showing just how glamorous gray hair truly is, the push behind taking care of your natural color is more prevalent than ever.
To get started, you’ll want to make sure you’re utilizing the right steps. “Gray hair may appear more coarse or wiry than other hair textures, especially in coily hair types,” says Alicia Bailey, master cosmetologist and global education manager at Design Essentials. “It can look dull, lack shine, and become more porous.”
While you may think using the same products you’ve been using for the past 30 years will do the trick, you may still be missing this one vital haircare step: toning. “I can’t tell you how many times I have seen yellow, or even green tones in gray hair,” Bailey says. “[Toning is a step that] women often miss.”
Read on for more about the benefits of toning and what you lose out on by skipping it.
What is toning?
Gray hair is a result of follicles producing less color as you age. While our natural shade of gray is left up to genetics, you may notice your hair looking more yellow or even green than normal.
“People often underestimate how environmental and lifestyle factors affect gray hair,” says Bailey. “Medications, smoking, stress, and outdoor pollution can all contribute to dullness or yellowing over time.”
But, there’s hope. Neutralizing the yellow tones in gray and silver hair, “toning keeps it beautiful and bright, which will combat the yellowing sometimes associated with this hair type,” Bailey tells ESSENCE. Like gray blending, toning shampoos protect your natural color by cancelling out the unintentional tones.
How to Tone Your Gray Hair
Adding toning into your gray hair care routine doesn’t have to be hard. “To tone the hair, a good toning shampoo with a violet or blue base helps to combat the yellow cast,” she says. Shampoos like Oribe’s Silverati Shampoo, OLAPLEX’s Nº.4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo, and L’Oreal Paris EverPure Purple Shampoo can easily fit into your haircare routine, used after your regular shampoo (like KeraCare’s 1st Lather Shampoo for clarifying or Design Essentials’s Rosemary & Mint Shampoo for moisture).
“Hair care for grey hair requires more hydration and protection,” she says. “To maintain the hair, focus on sulfate-free cleansers that will be gentle, yet moisturizing and cleansing, and be sure to condition the hair often.”
What to Avoid With Gray Hair Care
“Because it tends to be coarse and wiry, some believe that more heat should be used to smooth it out,” she says. “That is a myth.” According to her, more heat can damage the hair and cause discoloration to the strands. Instead, a healthy routine consists of “products that offer proper toning, moisture balance, gentle cleansing, shine, and frizz control.”